Retractable sidestep

ABSTRACT

A manually retractable side step assembly for a vehicle includes a rotatable step having a latch mechanism and a spring system that work in concert to rotate the step from a stowed position to a deployed position. In a stowed position, the step is in line with the running board of the vehicle. However, depressing a release button automatically rotates the step 180°, thus exposing an enlarged step area for providing ease of access to a roof rack on a minivan, SUV, or sport wagon, or if used with a pick-up truck, ease of access to a toolbox that is located in the rear of the truck.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject of the present invention relates to a sidestep assembly fora vehicle for enabling a user to easily access a toolbox in the bed of apick-up truck. The invention also relates to a sidestep for accessing aroof rack on a SUV, minivan, or sport wagon, or even bikes, etc., thatare mounted on the top of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is common to provide running boards on pick-up trucks, sport utilityvehicles, and other types of vehicles where it is desirable to providethe user with ease of entry into the cabin of the vehicle. It is alsoadvantageous to provide a sidestep near the rear of the running boardthat assists in easy access to a toolbox that may be located in the bedof the pick-up truck. Traditionally, running boards are located inwardtowards the side of the vehicle. The problem though is that they do notprovide a solid surface for the user to stand on while accessing thetoolbox.

It is also common to provide roof racks on minivans, SUVs and sportwagons and to secure bicycles, skis, kayaks, canoes, boats, or evensport boxes to the roof of these vehicles. A recurring problem though isaccessing these items once they are secured to the vehicle. Traditionalrunning boards however, don't provide easy access to the roof oranything secured thereto.

It is known to provide steps to provide access to a tailgate area of apick-up truck. However, currently there are no retractable step productsthat are simple in design yet provide ease of access to the toolbox thatis located in the bed of a truck. Rear access via the tailgate is oftenawkward and more time consuming if quick and simple access is requiredto the side of a box for replacement of tools. Further, toolboxes aregenerally located in the front area of the truck bed and, becausetypical running boards do not extend rearward enough, they do notprovide ease of access to the forward part of a truck bed. Thus, itwould be desirable to provide a sidestep located near the front end ofthe truck bed, or where the toolbox is located. It would also bedesirable to provide an after market sidestep that can be connected toan existing running board. It would also be desirable to provide asidestep as an OEM product for use in connection with an existingrunning board. It would also be desirable to provide an extended tubestyle board with a rotatable wider rear section that when rotated out,provides a wider step surface that is positioned further outward thanthe typical tube style running board. It is also desirable to provide asidestep that provides ample foot contact area as well as step height soas to meet typical OEM requirements for ergonomics.

It is also desirable to provide a sidestep that provides easy access toa toolbox that is simple in design, easy to operate, and has minimalworking components, and is economic and ergonomic. Accordingly, it is anobject of the present invention to provide an improved retractablesidestep which overcomes the above referenced disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedsidestep that can rotate out from a stowed position to a deployedposition thus allowing the user to have an improved standing surfacewhen accessing the top of the roof or a toolbox that is located in thebed of a truck.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided asidestep assembly comprised of a step positioned adjacent to the runningboard. A latch mechanism is provided that is located within the step andsaid mechanism is operable to lock the step in a stowed position or tobe released to allow the step to be repositioned to a deployed position.The latch mechanism includes a release button, a push rod, a latchplate, a latch spring and a set of guide pins. The sidestep assemblyfurther includes a spring deployment mechanism having an elongated tubewith a spring positioned therein. The spring acts to rotate the steponce the latch mechanism has been released, thus allowing the step torotate out into a useable position for the user to stand on and toaccess a toolbox. A support tube assembly is part of the running boardof the vehicle and includes a mounting bracket that secures theelongated tube in place relative to the running board. This allows thestep mechanism to pivot relative to the elongated tube, between a stowedposition and a deployed position.

The step assembly can be easily deployed by depressing the releasebutton, thus allowing the step to rotate outward automatically to adeployed position where a mechanism stop locks it in place. After theuser is done using the step, the step can be rotated via hand or footmeans to rotate the step to the stowed position, where it automaticallylocks in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from a detailed description hereafter. It will be understoodthat the detailed description and specific examples come out whileindicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only, since the various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle illustrating the sidestepassembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sidestep assembly shown in a stowedposition, with the step shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the FIG. 2 sidestep assembly, illustrating thesidestep assembly relative to the running board of a vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sidestep assembly shown in thedeployed position, with the sidestep extrusion shown in phantom;

FIG. 5 is a side view section of 5-5 taken from FIG. 1 showing thesidestep assembly in the stowed position, further illustrating thesupport tube relative to the extruded step;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sidestep assembly shown in thedeployed position, relative to the running board of the vehicle;

FIG. 7 is a section cut taken from the direction of arrow 7-7 from FIG.6, showing the step assembly in its deployed position relative to therunning board; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the step assembly shown in the stowedposition, illustrating the spring located within the support tube, whichis located within the extruded step.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the figures, where like numerals indicate like orcorresponding parts throughout the various figures, a side step assembly10 is shown adjacent to a running board 12 that is in turn affixed to avehicle 14. A toolbox 16 is shown located in the forward edge of a truckbed. The purpose of the present invention is to provide ease of accessby a user to the toolbox 16 via the use of a novel sidestep assembly 10.Alternatively, the step assembly 10 can provide ease of access to a roofrack where sporting equipment can be secured. The vehicle 14 can be atruck, minivan, SUV, sport wagon or any vehicle where it is desirable toaccess something elevated on the vehicle 14. For illustrative purposesonly, the following description will relate to accessing a toolbox in apick-up truck.

The sidestep assembly 10 is stream lined with the running board 12 toprovide an aesthetically pleasing design. With reference to FIG. 2, thesidestep assembly 10 is shown in the stowed position and is comprised ofa sidestep extrusion 18, a latch system 20, a spring deploy system 22,and a support tube assembly 24. These components work in unison toprovide a rotatable step 19 that can rotate between a stowed position 26or a deployed position 28 (FIG. 4). Once in the deployed position 28,the user has an extended surface that protrudes away from the side panelof the truck bed, thus providing an improved solid surface to stand onwhen accessing the toolbox 16.

With reference to FIG. 3, the latch system 20 is comprised of a latchrelease button 30, a seal spring 32, a button seal 34, a latch push rod36, a latch plate 38, a set of latch guide pins 40, a latch spring 42,and a spring retainer 44. The purpose of the latch system 20 is tomaintain the sidestep 19 in the closed position during transport, but tobe disengaged when the operator needs to access a toolbox.

The latch release button 30 extends through a hole 46 that is located inthe end cap 102 of the sidestep extrusion 18. The seal spring 32 biasesthe button seal 34 closed to keep debris out of the interior of theextrusion. One end 48 of the push rod 36 engages a “U” shaped slot 50located in the latch plate 38. They are affixed via conventional means.The latch plate 38 further includes a pair of diagonally spaced slots 52that are operable to receive latch guide pins 40 in spaced apartlocations. The latch spring 42 engages the other end of the latch plate38 causing the latch plate to be biased inward towards a slot runningthe axial length of the support tube. One end of the latch spring 42 iscradled within the spring retainer 44 so as to maintain position of thespring. The retainer 44 is secured to the end cap.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 8, the spring deploymentsystem 22 is comprised of a deploy spring 54 that is positioned withinthe support tube. The deploy spring has an end 56 that engages a notch58 that is located within a cylindrically shaped profile 86 of theextrusion 18. The opposite end 59 of the deploy spring 54 is secured toa spring anchor pin 60 thus allowing the torsion spring 54 to impartrotation to the step 19 once the latch system 20 is released via latchrelease button 30.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, the support tube assembly 24 iscomprised of a mounting bracket 62, which is secured via weld nuts 64 toa conventional running board 12, which in turn is affixed to the vehicle14 via conventional methods. The support tube assembly 24 furtherincludes a support tube 66 that is an integral part of the mountingbracket 62. The mounting bracket 62 further having an inner extrudedwall 68 that is operable to engage the outer extruded wall 70 of therunning board 12. Thus, the mounting bracket 62 fits within the runningboard 12 and forms an integral part located within the running board 12that is not viewable to the user. It will be appreciated that themounting bracket 62 could be connected to a minivan, SUV, or sport wagonby various means so as to provide a side step assembly that offersaccess to the top of each type of vehicle.

The support tube 66 extends the entire length of the mounting bracket62, and through a substantial portion of the sidestep extrusion 18. Theportion 72 of this support tube that extends within the step extrusion18, acts as a pivot point for the step 19 to rotate there about, betweenthe stowed position (shown in FIG. 2) and the deployed position (shownin FIG. 4). This allows the step assembly 10 to rotate approximately 180degrees whereby the step is ergonomically aligned with the running board12 when in the stowed position, yet can be rotated outwardly away fromthe body of the vehicle, to the deployed position. The support tube ispreferably made of steel as are the components of the mounting bracket62, each of which having sufficient strength to support a user.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, the support tube 66 has an axiallyextending slot 74 extending the majority of the tube 66 for receiving anedge 108 of the latch plate 38. This construction creates a mechanicalstop for the sidestep 19 to be maintained in the stowed position whilethe vehicle is traveling down the road.

With reference now to FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, the components of the sidestepextrusion 18 will now be discussed. The sidestep extrusion 18 iscomprised of a curved outer wall 76 that acts as the top surface whenthe step in the stowed position. A lower wall 78 has a textured gripsurface 80 for user to stand on once in the deployed position. Theinterior of the step extrusion 18 has an interior cavity 82 with supportchannels 84 extending throughout. The support channels 84 providerigidity to the structure, which is preferably an extruded aluminumdesign. It will be appreciated that the step extrusion 18 can be made ofother methods and other materials.

The interior cavity 82 of the step extrusion 18 further includes acylindrically shaped profile 86 that runs the entire length of the step,that is operable to receive the support tube 66. There is sufficientclearance between the support tube 66 and the extruded portion 86, so asto allow for a rotatable fit there between. The cavity 82 furtherincludes a circular profile 88 adjacent to and connected with thecylindrically shaped profile 86. The circular profile 88 extendsessentially the entire length of the sidestep, and has a horizontallyslotted portion or groove 90 that is operable to receive the latch plate38. There is sufficient clearance 92 within the groove 90 to allow thelatch plate to traverse therein relative to the support tube 66. Thisallows the latch plate 38 to engage (as shown in FIG. 5) the supporttube 66, or to disengage and pull away from the support tube 66 (asshown in FIG. 7). The circular profile 88 further includes a verticallyspaced opening 94 that is operable to receive and secure in place thelatch guide pins 40. The latch guide pins 40 extend through the latchplate 30 and allow the plate to traverse outward and away from thesupport tube 66, when the latch release button 30 is pressed.

With reference to FIG. 7, a deploy stop key 96 is positioned within agroove 98 of the support tube 66. The key 96 engages a deploy stop 100integral with the cylindrical portion 86 when the sidestep rotates to adeployed position as shown in FIG. 7. This mechanical arrangementprovides a stop for the step to be firmly located in place. It will beappreciated, that others stop designs can be provided, and arecontemplated to be well within the scope of the present invention.

In addition to the step extrusion 18, the step 19 further includes anouter end cap 102 and an inner end cap 104. The caps serve to close offthe interior space of the cavity 82, keeping the interior componentsthereof free of material. The end caps are preferably made of the samematerial as the step 18. The caps are secured to the step extrusion 18by conventional means.

It will further be appreciated that the latch system 20 be comprised ofsufficiently rigid materials to provide structural integrity for thisparticular application. Likewise, the spring deployment system 22 iscomprised of a sufficiently strong torsional spring 54 as to allowproper rotational movement of the step 19.

A discussion of the operation of the step assembly 10 will now bepresented. With reference to FIGS. 2, 5, and 7, the assembly 10 is shownin the stowed position (FIG. 2) which is its normal operating conditionwhen the vehicle is traveling down the road. Once the vehicle stops, theoperator can deploy the sidestep by depressing the latch release button30. Pressing the latch release button 30 inward causes the push rod 36to move inward thus causing the latch plate 38 to traverse outward inthe direction of arrow 106. This action induces edge 108 of the latchplate to disengage from the slot 74 located in the outer perimeter ofthe support tube 66. Once the latch plate 38 fully disengages the slot74, the spring deployment system 22 then imparts rotation in a counterclockwise direction thus allowing the step 19 to advance towards adeployed position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The step 19 continues torotate in a counter clockwise manner until the deploy stop key 96engages deploy stop 100. This provides a firm mechanical stop and arigid connection between the running board 12 and the sidestep 19 so asto provide a firm stepping area.

When it is desirable to then return the step 19 to a stowed position,the operator merely rotates the step in a clockwise direction thusloading the spring and further allowing the edge 108 of the latch plate38 to reengage the slot 74 located in the support tube 66. The step isnow in a secure stowed position which can be re-deployed later.

It will be appreciated that other variations of the sidestep assembly 10can be utilized. For example, the step assembly 10 could be secured to astructure other than a running board, while providing easy access to theroof of a vehicle. The same rotatable feature would be employed, thusproviding stowed and deployed positions. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A manually retractable side step assembly for a vehicle having arunning board, the step assembly comprising: a) an extrusion assemblythat is rotatably connected to a running board that is fixed to thevehicle; b) a latch system that is housed within the extrusion assembly,the latch system including a release button, a push rod, a latch plate,a latch spring and latch guide pins; and c) a spring deployment systemhoused within the extrusion assembly, the spring deployment systemincluding a spring for rotating the step assembly, and a spring anchorpin.
 2. The manually retractable side step assembly as claimed in claim1, further comprising: a support tube assembly that is mounted to therunning board of the vehicle, the support tube assembly includes amounting bracket portion and an elongated tubular portion, the tubularportion extends within the extrusion assembly and receives the springdeployment system.
 3. The manually retractable side step assembly asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the extrusion assembly includes an inner endcap and an outer end cap with a step extrusion portion extending therebetween.
 4. The manually retractable side step assembly as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the extrusion assembly includes an exterior gripsurface and interior channels.
 5. The manually retractable side stepassembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the interior channels of theextrusion assembly include a profiled section for receiving a tube and asecond profiled section for receiving the latch plate and the latchguide pin.
 6. The manually retractable side step assembly as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the latch system further includes a spring retainer forreceiving the latch spring.
 7. The manually retractable side stepassembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch plate of the latchsystem includes a pair of slots for receiving the latch pins, the latchplate is operable to move from a stowed position to an operableposition.
 8. The manually retractable side step assembly as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the side step assembly is operable between a stowedposition, and where the latch system can be activated to allow rotationof the step to a deployed position.
 9. A deployable side step assemblyfor a vehicle comprising: a) a step that is mounted to the vehicle, thestep consisting of an extruded member; b) a latch mechanism locatedwithin the step, the latch mechanism is operable to allow deployment ofsaid step; c) a spring deployment mechanism including an elongated tube,a spring positioned with the tube, and a spring stop; and d) a supporttube assembly including a mounting bracket that is operable to receivean elongated tube.
 10. The side step assembly as claimed in claim 9,wherein the extruded member includes interior support members, aprofiled section for receiving the elongated tube and a second profiledsection for receiving the latch plate.
 11. The side step assembly asclaimed in claim 9, wherein the latch mechanism further includes arelease button, a push rod, a latch plate, a latch spring and latchguide pins.
 12. The side step assembly as claimed in claim 9, whereinthe spring deployment mechanism is operable to bias the step to adeployed position once the latch mechanism is released.
 13. The sidestep assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step is positioned in astowed position, the latch mechanism is operable to allow the step torotate outward to a deployed position.
 14. The side step assembly asclaimed in claim 9, wherein the step is mountable to a minivan andprovides access to a roof of the minivan.
 15. The side step assembly asclaimed in claim 9, wherein the step is a modular design operable to besecured to a running board of a vehicle.
 16. A running board assemblyfor use with a vehicle comprising: a) a running board extending a lengthof the vehicle, the running board includes a mounting bracket and anelongated tube; b) a step positioned adjacent to the running board, thestep is operable to receive the elongated tube, said step can bedeployed from a first position to a second position; c) a latchmechanism located within the step, the latch mechanism including arelease button, a push rod, a latch plate, a latch spring and latchguide pins; and d) a spring deployment mechanism including an elongatedtube, a spring positioned with the tube, and a spring stop.
 17. Therunning board assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the elongatedtube has a recess extending a length of the tube, the recess is operableto receive the latch plate.
 18. The running board assembly as claimed inclaim 16, wherein the elongated tube includes a stop member that isoperable to engage an internal wall of the step when the step is in asecond position.
 19. The running board assembly as claimed in claim 16,wherein the step is an extrusion having a circular shaped portion forreceiving the elongated tube, the step further having a portion forreceiving a latch plate.
 20. The running board assembly as claimed inclaim 16, wherein the latch mechanism disengages the elongated tubeallowing the spring deployment mechanism to rotate the step to adeployed position.